The present invention relates to an ornamental chain element made up of successive elements of generally spherical shape, for example, having the same or different dimensions, and made of metal, preferably a precious metal, e.g. gold.
It is known to make a chain of beads by means of a method consisting: in chasing the metal of a wire at regular intervals to form enlarged zones presenting a region of narrow section halfway along; in envelopping each of the enlarged zones in a sheet of metal shaped to form a bead; and then in breaking the wire in the narrow section portion of each enlarged zone inside a bead.
That method is not particularly well adapted to making an ornamental chain, in particular because beads made in that way lend themselves poorly to mounting precious stones.
In FR-A-2 779 921, the Applicant company describes an ornamental chain made up of successive elements characterized by the fact that at least one of the elements of the chain comprises a hollow body having fixed therein an insert shaped to retain a link member connected to an adjacent element of the chain, the insert being constituted by at least one split sleeve, the sleeve being of a shape that is sufficiently wide to allow the body of the link member to pass through.
The present invention proposes making an ornamental chain element suitable for an assembly process that is even faster than with the chain elements of the prior document and that provides the assembled elements with greater strength, particularly against any attempt at pulling off the chain.
The chain element of the invention is essentially characterized by the fact that it comprises a hollow body made up of two complementary portions provided with co-operating internal snap-fastening means, the hollow body being shaped to retain at least one link member for linking it to an adjacent element of the chain, and containing an internal locking member for locking the snap-fastening means in their assembled position.
Advantageously, the means for snap-fastening the two hollow body portions together comprise tongues projecting from one of the hollow body portions, each being provided with a catch-forming end suitable for engaging against a retaining bearing surface formed in the other hollow body portion. Said other hollow body portion may advantageously include a recess in which a tubular locking member is received, said locking member being positioned and shaped so that during assembly of the two portions of the hollow body it presses the ends of said tongues outwards, thereby locking them in the assembled position.
The locking member may be made of the same material as the hollow body and act during assembly to deform the ends of the tongues so that the tongues are, so to speak, riveted against their bearing surface.
The two portions of the hollow body of the invention include cutouts in their outer walls for receiving link members and retaining them in the hollow body after the two component portions thereof have been assembled together.
The invention can accommodate a wide variety of shapes for the hollow body, and it can advantageously be spherical, being made by turning, and it may be suitable for receiving a precious stone mounted in a blind hole formed in one of the portions of the hollow body.
As in the above-mentioned prior document in the name of the Applicant company, the link member may be constituted by a peg having two heads.